The Maya Civilization
The history, cities, science, and living heritage of the Maya. Four thousand years of pyramids, glyphs, kings, calendars, and the millions of Maya alive today.
Explore the Maya world
Every article on the site, organized by topic — start anywhere.
History
History of the Maya Civilization
An encyclopedic 4,000-year arc of Maya history, from Preclassic maize farmers at Nakbe to the modern Maya of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras.
- Causes of the Classic Maya Collapse
- Classic Period — Apex of Maya Civilization
- How Did the Spanish Conquest Change Maya Society?
- Postclassic Period — Transformation and Change
- Preclassic Period — Origins of the Maya
- Spanish Conquest and Colonial Era
- What Caused the Classic Maya Collapse?
- What Were the Petexbatún Wars?
- When Did the Maya Civilization Begin and End?
- Who Was the First Known Maya Ruler?
Religion & Mythology
Maya Religion, Mythology, and Cosmology
Explore the cosmology, deities, rituals, underworld beliefs, and priesthood that shaped Maya religion from the Preclassic through the present.
- Maya Priesthood and Shamanism
- Maya Rituals: Bloodletting and Sacrifice
- Principal Maya Gods and Deities
- The Popol Vuh: Maya Creation Myth
- What Is the Popol Vuh and Why Does It Matter?
- What Is Xibalba, the Place of Fear?
- Who Are the Hero Twins in Maya Mythology?
- Who Is Kukulkan the Feathered Serpent?
- Why Did the Maya Practice Bloodletting?
- Xibalba: The Maya Underworld
Art & Architecture
Maya Art, Architecture, and Monuments
A comprehensive guide to Maya pyramids, temples, stelae, murals, jade mosaics, pottery, and the iconography that defined a 3,000-year artistic tradition.
- How Were Maya Pyramids Built Without Metal Tools?
- Maya Murals, Painting, and Iconography
- Maya Pottery, Jade, and Material Culture
- Maya Pyramids, Temples, and Sacred Architecture
- Maya Stelae, Altars, and Stone Monuments
- What Do Maya Stelae Tell Us About Their Kings?
- What Does the Bonampak Mural Show?
- What Is the Most Famous Maya Pyramid?
- Why Is the Temple of the Inscriptions So Important?
Writing & Language
Maya Writing, Language, and Books
A comprehensive guide to Maya hieroglyphs, the only fully deciphered writing system of pre-Columbian Americas, plus the languages and codices behind it.
- Are Maya Glyphs the Same as Aztec Glyphs?
- How Do Scholars Read Maya Hieroglyphs Today?
- Maya Hieroglyphs and the Glyph System
- Maya Languages from Classic to Modern
- Scribes, Literacy, and Education in Maya Society
- The Maya Codices and Surviving Books
- What Happened to Most of the Maya Books?
- What Is the Difference Between Maya Languages?
- Who First Deciphered Maya Writing?
The Calendar
The Maya Calendar System — Tzolk'in, Haab', Long Count, and Astronomical Cycles
Encyclopedic guide to the Maya calendar system: Tzolk'in, Haab', Long Count, Calendar Round, katuns, Venus, eclipses, and the 2012 phenomenon.
- Did the Maya Predict Solar Eclipses Accurately?
- How Did Maya Temples Align With the Stars?
- How Does the Maya Long Count Calendar Work?
- Maya Astronomical Cycles and Observations
- The Haab' — Solar 365-Day Calendar of the Maya
- The Long Count and the Calendar Round — Maya Day-Count and 52-Year Cycle
- The Tzolk'in — Sacred 260-Day Calendar of the Maya
- What Did the Maya 2012 Prophecy Actually Say?
- What Is a Katun in Maya Timekeeping?
Society & Daily Life
Maya Society, Politics, and Daily Life
An encyclopedic survey of Maya kings, noble lineages, commoners, markets, families, food, dress, and the ritualized warfare that shaped daily existence.
- Did Maya Women Rule as Kings?
- Did the Maya Have Slaves?
- How Were Maya Kings and Queens Chosen?
- Maya Clothing, Adornment, and Appearance
- Maya Family, Kinship, and Gender Roles
- Maya Social Hierarchy and Class Structure
- Maya Trade, Markets, and Economy
- Warfare, Captives, and Human Sacrifice
- What Did the Maya Eat for Their Meals?
- What Games Did Maya Children Play?
Agriculture & Food
Maya Agriculture, Food, and Cuisine
An encyclopedia guide to Maya farming, maize, milpa, terracing, water management, cacao, feasting, and the foods of ancient and living Maya communities.
- Cocoa, Salt, and Maya Trade Goods
- Did the Maya Really Invent Chocolate?
- How Did the Maya Farm in Dense Rainforest?
- How Did the Maya Store Their Harvest?
- Maize, Beans, and Squash: The Three Sisters
- Maya Cuisine: Food, Drink, and Preparation
- The Milpa: Slash-and-Burn Farming
- Water Management: Reservoirs and Chinampas
- What is the Milpa Farming System?
- What Was on the Maya Menu During Festivals?
Science & Astronomy
Maya Science, Mathematics, and Astronomy
An encyclopedic survey of Maya science, covering the vigesimal number system, the invention of zero, planetary observation, eclipse prediction, herbal medicine, and surgery.
- Did the Maya Really Invent the Concept of Zero?
- How Accurate Were Maya Astronomical Predictions?
- How Did the Maya Track Venus and Its Cycles?
- Maya Astronomy, Stars, Planets, and Eclipses
- Maya Medicine, Healers, and Herbal Remedies
- Maya Number System and the Concept of Zero
- What Did Maya Surgeons Do for Patients?
- What Plants Did Maya Healers Use as Medicine?
Cities & Sites
Major Maya Cities and Archaeological Sites
An encyclopedic tour of the most important Maya archaeological sites, from Tikal and Calakmul to Palenque, Copán, Chichén Itzá, and the LiDAR revolution.
- Bonampak, Yaxchilán, and the Usumacinta
- Calakmul, Caracol, and the Snake Kingdom
- Chichén Itzá: Yucatán's Great Capital
- Copán: Dynasty of the 18 Rabbit
- How to Visit Tikal from Guatemala City
- Is Chichén Itzá Maya or Toltec?
- Palenque: Art and Court of Pakal
- Tikal: Heart of the Classic Maya World
- What Happened at the Ancient City of Copán?
- What Is the Most Important Find at Palenque?
- Why Was Calakmul Such a Powerful Rival to Tikal?
The Living Maya
The Living Maya: Heritage and Modern Descendants
An encyclopedic survey of the 6–8 million living Maya of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras — their identity, languages, religion, art, politics, and links to the ancient past.
- How Is Traditional Maya Weaving Being Preserved?
- How Many Maya People Are Alive Today?
- Maya Languages Today: Living Tongues
- Maya Textiles, Weaving, and the Huipil
- Modern Maya Identity and Survival
- The Caste War and Yucatec Resistance
- The Maya in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras
- What Languages Do Modern Maya Speak?
- What Was the Caste War of Yucatán?
- Where Do Modern Maya People Live?